U.S. patent number 6,719,217 [Application Number 09/868,614] was granted by the patent office on 2004-04-13 for aromatizer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kao Corporation. Invention is credited to Hirotoshi Tawara, Takashi Yamada, Fumihiko Yoshiro.
United States Patent |
6,719,217 |
Tawara , et al. |
April 13, 2004 |
Aromatizer
Abstract
The invention provides an air fragrance device (10) having a fan
(26) driven by a motor (24) and provided in a blowing chamber (35)
and an air fragrance tank (13) having a fragrant agent (1) therein
and communicated with the blowing chamber (35), in which the
blowing chamber (35) is arranged below the air fragrance tank
(13).
Inventors: |
Tawara; Hirotoshi (Tokyo,
JP), Yamada; Takashi (Tokyo, JP), Yoshiro;
Fumihiko (Tokyo, JP) |
Assignee: |
Kao Corporation (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
27518222 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/868,614 |
Filed: |
June 22, 2001 |
PCT
Filed: |
December 24, 1999 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/JP99/07295 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO00/40276 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
July 13, 2000 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 28, 1998 [JP] |
|
|
10-372909 |
Dec 28, 1998 [JP] |
|
|
10-372917 |
Dec 28, 1998 [JP] |
|
|
10-372962 |
Dec 28, 1998 [JP] |
|
|
10-372967 |
Jan 7, 1999 [JP] |
|
|
11-002235 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
239/419.5;
239/302; 239/379; 239/419; 261/DIG.17; 261/DIG.88; 422/124 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61L
9/122 (20130101); Y10S 261/88 (20130101); Y10S
261/17 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61L
9/12 (20060101); F23D 011/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;239/302,326,379,289,419,419.5 ;261/97,98,115,119.1,DIG.17,DIG.88
;422/123,124 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
54471 |
|
Nov 1920 |
|
JP |
|
59-141899 |
|
Sep 1984 |
|
JP |
|
63-135645 |
|
Sep 1988 |
|
JP |
|
2-20550 |
|
Feb 1990 |
|
JP |
|
2-116452 |
|
Sep 1990 |
|
JP |
|
10-85313 |
|
Apr 1998 |
|
JP |
|
10-314290 |
|
Dec 1998 |
|
JP |
|
Primary Examiner: Ganey; Steven J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier
& Neustadt, P.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An air fragrance device comprising: a fan driven by a motor and
provided in a blowing chamber; an air fragrance tank having a
fragrant agent therein and communicated with the blowing chamber;
and a fragrant smell intake opening, wherein the blowing chamber is
arranged below the air fragrance tank, and wherein the fragrant
smell intake opening is located inside the outer periphery of the
fan and is configured to transmit a fragrant smell generated by the
fragrant agent from the air fragrance tank to the blowing
chamber.
2. An air fragrance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a chamber
in which said motor is arranged is shielded with respect to the
blowing path.
3. An air fragrance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an air
intake passage and a fragrant smell intake passage with respect to
the suction port of said fan are separately formed, and an air and
a fragrant smell supplied from both the intake passages are mixed
so as to be blown out from the blowing port of the fan.
4. An air fragrance device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a valve
for adjusting a fragrant smell flow amount is provided in said
fragrant smell intake passage.
5. An air fragrance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an air
storage portion is provided in an immediately upstream side of the
suction port of the blowing chamber in which said fan is provided,
and a narrow air intake passage provided around the fragrant
material receiving portion is communicated with said air storage
portion.
6. An air fragrance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outlet
of the receiving portion for said fragrant agent is arranged in an
immediately upstream side of the fragrant smell blowing port to an
exterior of the air fragrance device in the blowing passage of the
fan.
7. An air fragrance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outlet
of the receiving portion for said fragrant agent is provided above
said receiving portion.
8. An air fragrance device comprising: a fan driven by a motor and
provided in a blowing chamber; and an air fragrance tank having a
fragrant agent therein and communicated with the blowing chamber,
wherein the blowing chamber is arranged below the air fragrance
tank, wherein an air intake passage and a fragrant smell intake
passage with respect to the suction port of said fan are separately
formed, and an air and a fragrant smell supplied from both the
intake passages are mixed so as to be blown out from the blowing
port of the fan, and wherein a valve for adjusting a fragrant smell
flow amount is provided in said fragrant smell intake passage.
9. An air fragrance device comprising: a fan driven by a motor and
provided in a blowing chamber; and an air fragrance tank having a
fragrant agent therein and communicated with the blowing chamber,
wherein the blowing chamber is arranged below the air fragrance
tank, and wherein an air storage portion is provided in an
immediately upstream side of the suction port of the blowing
chamber in which said fan is provided, and a narrow air intake
passage provided around the fragrant material receiving portion is
communicated with said air storage portion.
10. An air fragrance device comprising: a fan driven by a motor and
provided in a blowing chamber; and an air fragrance tank having a
fragrant agent therein and communicated with the blowing chamber,
wherein the blowing chamber is arranged below the air fragrance
tank, wherein an outlet of the receiving portion for said fragrant
agent is arranged in an immediately upstream side of the fragrant
smell blowing port to an exterior of the air fragrance device in
the blowing passage of the fan, and wherein an outlet of the
receiving portion for said fragrant agent is provided above said
receiving portion.
Description
TECHNICAL FILED
The present invention relates to an air fragrance device.
BACKGROUND ART
There is an air fragrance device in which a fan driven by a motor
is provided in a blowing chamber and the blowing chamber is
communicated with a side portion of an air fragrance tank having a
fragrant agent therein, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application
Lad-Open (JP-A) No. 10-85313, the air fragrance device being placed
within a room or the like.
The air fragrance device is structured such that when the fan is
driven, a residence air in the blowing chamber is at first
discharged and thereafter a fragrant smell (an air containing a
fragrant material) in the air fragrance tank side is discharged via
the blowing chamber. Accordingly, it is impossible to immediately
discharge the fragrant smell together with the driving operation of
the fan.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to discharge a fragrant smell
immediately after starting driving a fan in an air fragrance
device.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an air
fragrance device comprising: a fan driven by a motor and provided
in a blowing chamber; and an air fragrance tank having a fragrant
agent therein and communicated with the blowing chamber, wherein
the blowing chamber is arranged below the air fragrance tank.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an air fragrance device;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing an air fragrance
device;
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross sectional view showing a support
structure for a motor shaft;
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view along a line IV--IV in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a receiving cassette for a
fragrant material;
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view showing an air fragrance
device;
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing an air fragrance
device;
FIG. 8 is a graph showing an air fragrance blowing
characteristic;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an air fragrance device;
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view showing an air fragrance device;
and
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing an air fragrance
device.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(Fist Embodiment) (FIGS. 1 to 5)
An air fragrance device 10 corresponds to a three-layer structure
body obtained by layering a motor case 11, a blowing case 12 and an
air fragrance tank 13, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The motor case 11 is structured such that a bottom cover 21 is
fitted to a bottom portion of a drive circuit chamber 20
constituted by a cylindrical body with a top, and a battery 23 is
received in a battery receiving portion 22 integrally formed with
the bottom cover 21. The bottom cover 21 is structured such that an
engaging portion provided on an outer periphery is engaged with and
attached to an inner periphery of the bottom portion of the motor
case 11. A motor 24 is mounted on an upper surface of the bottom
cover 21, an output shaft 24A of the motor 24 passes through an
axial hole 25 provided on a top surface of a shielding plate 11A in
the motor case 11, and a fan 26 is pressure inserted to a through
end. A drive circuit board 27 for the motor 24 is attached to a
side surface of the battery receiving portion 22 provided in the
bottom cover 21, an operation lamp 28 of the motor 24 and a sensor
29 detecting a human body so as to drive the motor 24 is provided
in the drive circuit board 27, and a lamp window 28A and a sensor
window 29A respectively corresponding to the lamp 28 and the sensor
29 are provided on a side surface of the motor case 11.
The blowing case 12 is structured such that an inner periphery of a
lower end of a short cylindrical body is engaged with an annular
groove 32 provided in the outer periphery of the top end of the
motor case 11. The blowing case 12 is provided with an upper
partition plate 33 provided in an inner periphery of an upper end
and a substantially C-shaped side partition plate 34 provided in a
lower surface of the upper partition plate 33. Accordingly, the
blowing case 12 forms a blowing chamber 35 surrounded by the top
surface of the motor case 11, the upper partition plate 33 and the
side partition plate 34 in a state of being engaged with the motor
case 11, arranges the fan 26 mentioned above in a center of the
blowing chamber 35, arranges a suction port 36 provided in a center
of the upper partition plate 33 above the center of the fan 26, and
arranges a blowing port 37 provided in a side surface of the
blowing case 12 corresponding to a portion between both
substantially C-shaped end portions of the side partition plate 34
in an outer peripheral side of the blowing chamber 35.
The air fragrance tank 13 is constituted by a fragrant material
receiving cassette 41 and a cover 42. The fragrant material
receiving cassette 41 is formed in a semispherical shape with a
bottom, and constituting a fragrant material receiving portion for
receiving a fragrant material 1 (a fragrant agent). The fragrant
material receiving cassette 41 is structured such that one or more
inlets 43 are opened on a spherical top surface, a cylinder portion
44 with a bottom is communicated with a center of the bottom
surface, and an outlet 43B is opened to a cylinder side surface of
the cylinder portion 44. The fragrant material receiving cassette
41 is mounted on a support protruding portion 38 disposed on the
upper surface of the upper partition plate 33 of the blowing case
12, and the cylinder portion 44 is arranged in the suction port 36
in a center of the upper partition plate 33. In this case, the
fragrant material receiving cassette 41 prevents particulate
objects of the fragrant material 1 from flowing out into the
cylinder portion 44 with a bottom by means of a net (not shown)
placed in an inner side of the bottom surface. The cover 42 is
formed in a semispherical cup shape, is engaged with and disengaged
from the blowing case 12 by an engaging portion 45 provided in an
outer periphery of the lower end. The cover 42 is provided with an
air intake port 47 on a spherical top surface, and forms an air
intake passage 48 between the outer surface of the fragrant
material receiving cassette 41 and the cover 42 in a state of being
engaged with and attached to the blowing case 12 (the air intake
passage 48 extends to the suction port 36 between the bottom
surface of the fragrant material receiving cassette 41 and the
upper surface of the upper partition plate 33 in the blowing case
12).
The air fragrance device 10 is structured such that when the human
body is detected by the sensor, the motor 24 is turned on so as to
drive the fan 26. In accordance with the driving operation of the
fan 26, the air is sucked into the blowing chamber 35 from the
suction port 36 via the air intake passage 48 passing through the
portion between the cover 42 and the fragrant material receiving
cassette 41 from the air intake port 47 of the cover 42, and the
fragrant smell within the fragrant material receiving cassette 41
is sucked into the blowing chamber 35 from the suction port 36 by a
fragrant smell intake passage 49 passing through an inlet 43A and
an outlet 43B of the fragrant material receiving cassette 41 from
the air intake port 47 in the cover 42. Accordingly, the air and
the fragrant smell are mixed in the blowing chamber 35 so as to
generate a fragrant smell and blown out from the blowing port 37 in
the side surface of the blowing case 12.
The air fragrance device 10 is structured such that the fan 26
driven by the motor 24 is provided in the blowing chamber 35, and
the blowing chamber 35 having the blowing port 37 below the air
fragrance tank 13 at a time of communicating the air fragrance tank
13 receiving the fragrant material 1 with the blowing chamber 35
via the fragrant smell intake passage 49 as mentioned above.
That is, in the air fragrance device 10, in order to utilize a
nature that the fragrant smell drops down due to an effect of
gravity, the air fragrance tank 13 is provided above the blowing
chamber 35. Accordingly, the fragrant smell generated from the air
fragrance tank 13 moves downward to the below blowing chamber 35 so
as to stay, so that when driving the fan 26 by the motor 24, it is
possible to immediately blow out the fragrant smell from the
blowing port 37. This is particularly preferable in the present
embodiment structured such that the human body is detected by the
sensor and the fragrant smell is output.
Further, in the air fragrance device 10, as shown in FIG. 3, a
bearing 100 pivotally supporting the output shaft 24A is provided
in a frame top surface of the motor 24, and the bearing 100
supports the output shaft 24A of the motor 24, thereby preventing
the output shaft 24A from oscillating at a time of rotating, and a
grease 101 charged into the bearing 100 prevents the fragrant smell
from leaking into the motor 24.
Further, the air fragrance device 10 is structured such that the
air intake passage 48 passing through the portion between the cover
42 and the fragrant material receiving cassette 41 from the air
intake port 47 of the cover 42, and the fragrant smell intake
passage 49 passing through the inlet 43A and the outlet 43B of the
fragrant material receiving cassette 41 from the air intake port 47
of the cover 42 are communicated with the suction port 36 of the
blowing chamber 35 in which the fan 26 driven by the motor 24 is
arranged, and the blowing port 37 of the blowing chamber 35 is
provided on the side surface of the blowing case 12, whereby a
blowing path 50 is constituted by the air intake passage 48, the
fragrant smell intake passage 49, the suction port 36 of the
blowing chamber 35 and the blowing port 37 thereof. On the other
hand, the drive circuit chamber 20 installing the motor 24 and the
drive circuit board 27, and the battery receiving portion 22
receiving the battery 23 are provided in the inner portion of the
motor case 11, and the drive circuit chamber 20 and the battery
receiving portion 22 are shielded with respect to the blowing path
50 by the shield plate 11A formed by the top surface of the motor
case 11 and the bearing 100 around the axial hole 25.
That is, in the air fragrance device 10, the drive circuit chamber
20 in which the motor 24 is arranged, is shielded from the blowing
path 50 in which the fragrant material 1 stays. Accordingly, it is
possible to protect a brush or the like of the motor 24 from an
abnormal abrasion, a corrosion or the like due to the fragrant
material 1 being attached thereto, and it is possible to secure a
stability of a air fragrance operation due to a smooth operation of
the fan 26.
Further, the air fragrance device 10 is structured such that the
air intake passage 48 communicated with the suction port 36 of the
blowing chamber 35 in which the fan 26 is provided and the fragrant
smell intake passage 49 are separately provided, and the air and
the fragrant smell supplied by both the intake passages 48 and 49
are mixed by the fan 26 so as to be blown out from the blowing port
37 of the blowing chamber 35.
At this time, a fragrant smell flow amount adjusting valve 51 can
be provided in the outlet 43B provided in the cylinder portion 44
of the fragrant material receiving cassette 41 forming the fragrant
smell intake passage 49, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The valve 51 is
inserted and attached so as to freely rotate around the cylinder
portion 44, thereby capable of adjusting an opening amount of the
outlet 43B by a plate-like valve body 51A.
That is, in the air fragrance device 10, most of the air entering
from the air intake port 47 of the air fragrance device 10 enters
through the air intake passage 48 to the blowing chamber 35 in
which the fan 26 is placed, and the other little air enters through
the fragrant smell intake passage 49 to the blowing chamber 35. As
mentioned above, since the air and fragrant smell intake passages
48 and 49 are separately provided, it is possible, for example, to
throttle the fragrant smell intake amount while increasing the air
intake amount passing through the air intake passage 48, whereby it
is possible to obtain an increased amount of air fragrance blow
without making the fragrant smell rich. That is, it is possible to
easily adjust a density of the fragrant smell blowing out from the
air fragrance device 10 by adjusting a flow passage area, a flow
passage resistance or the like of both the passages 48, 49 at a
stage of designing the air fragrance device 10.
Further, in the air fragrance device 10, it is possible to easily
change the density of the fragrant smell without changing the air
fragrance blowing out amount by providing the fragrant smell flow
amount adjusting valve 51 in the fragrant smell intake passage 49,
whereby it is possible to easily adjust the density of the fragrant
smell blowing out from the air fragrance device 10 at a time of
using the air fragrance device 10.
(Second Embodiment) (FIGS. 6 to 8)
In the air fragrance device 10 in accordance with a second
embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the blowing case 12, a
recess-shaped air storage portion 51 is provided in an immediately
upstream side of the suction port 36 of the blowing chamber 35 in
which the fan 26 driven by the motor 24 is provided, and a narrow
air intake passage 48 provided between the fragrant material
receiving cassette 41 and the cover 42 (in the present embodiment,
since an outer shape of the fragrant material receiving cassette 41
is as close as possible to the inner periphery of the cover 42 so
as to increase a fragrant material receiving volume of the fragrant
material receiving cassette 41 as much as possible, the air intake
passage 48 is made narrow) is communicated with the air storage
portion 51.
That is, in the air fragrance device 10, when the volume of the
fragrant material receiving cassette 41 is increased, it is
unavoidable that the flow passage area of the air intake passage 48
to the blowing chamber 35 formed around the fragrant material
receiving cassette 41 becomes narrow, however, when the fan 26 is
operated, the air is smoothly sucked from the air storage portion
51 disposed in the immediately upstream side, so that it is
possible to take in a sufficient amount of air and it is possible
to increase the air fragrance blowing out amount.
FIG. 8 shows experimental results using the air fragrance device
10, and shows a relation between an air fragrance blowing out speed
V (m/s) blown out from the blowing port 37 of the blowing chamber
35 at a time of rotating the fan 26 and a volume Q (cm.sup.3) of
the air storage portion 51 mentioned above. The more the volume of
the air storage portion 51 is, the more the fragrant smell blowing
out speed is.
(Third Embodiment) (FIGS. 9 to 11)
In a third embodiment, an air fragrance device 110 corresponds to a
three-layer structure body obtained by layering a motor case 111, a
blowing case 112 and an air fragrance tank 113, as shown in FIGS. 9
to 11.
The motor case 111 receives a battery 123 and a motor 124, an
output shaft 124A of the motor 124 extends through an axial hole
125 provided on a top surface of the motor case 111, and a fan 126
is pressure inserted to a through end thereof.
The blowing case 112 is provided with an upper partition plate 133
provided in an inner periphery of an upper end, and a side
partition plate 134 provided on a lower surface of the upper
partition plate 133. The blowing case 112 is engaged with the motor
case 111 and forms a blowing chamber 135 surrounded by the top
surface of the motor case 111, the upper partition plate 133 and
the side partition plate 134, the fan 126 mentioned above is
arranged in a center of the blowing chamber 135, a suction port 136
provided in a center of the upper partition plate 133 is formed
above the center of the fan 126, and an air intake port 137
provided so as to pass through the side partition plate 134 from
the side surface of the blowing case 112 is communicated with the
suction port 136 mentioned above. Further, the blowing case 112 has
an air discharge port 138 open to the upper partition plate 133
corresponding to an outer peripheral side of the blowing chamber
135, and is provided with a blowing guide 139 extending so as to
form a curved shape from a portion positioned close to the air
discharge port 138 on the upper surface of the upper partition
plate 133. The blowing guide 139 has a U-shaped horizontal cross
section and is formed in a curved shape extending in such a manner
as to be closely attached to an inner surface of a cover 142 of an
air fragrance tank 113 mentioned below in both side edge portion of
the U-shaped portion. The blowing guide 139 is provided with an air
distribution port 139A and a fragrant smell outlet 139B.
The air fragrance tank 113 is constituted by a fragrant material
receiving cassette 141 and the cover 142. The fragrant material
receiving cassette 141 is formed in a substantially semispherical
shape with a bottom constituted by a transparent body, and receives
the fragrant material 1 (the fragrant agent). The fragrant material
receiving cassette 141 is provided with a recessed portion 143
extending to the top side from the bottom side of the spherical
body side surface, and fits the recessed portion 143 to a back
surface of the blowing guide 139 provided in the blowing case 112
so as to be aligned therewith, thereby mounting at a predetermined
position on the upper partition plate 133 of the blowing case 112.
The fragrant material receiving cassette 141 is structured such
that an inlet 144A is opened to the side surface of the spherical
body, the outlet 144B is opened to the upper portion in the top
surface side from the inlet 144A, the inlet 144A is aligned with
the air distribution port 139A of the blowing guide 139 in the
blowing case 112 in a state of mounting the blowing case 112 on the
upper partition plate 133, and the outlet 144B is aligned with the
fragrant smell outlet 139B.
The cover 142 is formed in a semispherical cup shape constituted by
a transparent body, and is engaged with and disengaged from the
blowing case 112 by engaging an engaging portion 145 provided in an
inner periphery of the lower end with an annular protruding portion
146 provided in an outer periphery of the upper end of the blowing
case 112. The cover 142 is closely attached to both side edge
portions of the U-shaped portion in the blowing guide 139 provided
in the blowing case 112 in a state of being closely engaged with
the blowing case 112 so as to form a blowing passage 147 (a blowing
path) between the blowing guide 139 and the cover 142, and a
fragrant smell blowing port 148 connected to the blowing passage
147 is open to the spherical top portion. At this time, an outlet
144B of the fragrant material receiving cassette 141 is
communicated with the blowing passage 147 in an immediately
upstream side of the fragrant smell blowing port 148 via the
fragrant smell outlet 139B of the blowing guide 139.
Accordingly, the air fragrance device 110 is structured such that
the motor 124 drives the fan 126. Due to the driving operation of
the fan 126, the air sucked into the blowing chamber 135 via the
suction port 136 from the air intake port 137 on the side surface
of the blowing case 112 is pressure fed to the blowing passage 147
of the blowing guide 139 from the air discharge port 138 of the
blowing chamber 135. The air pressure fed to the blowing passage
147 partly enters into the inlet 144A of the fragrant material
receiving cassette 141 from the air distribution port 139A,
however, most of the air passes through the fragrant smell outlet
139B and a front surface of the outlet 144B of the fragrant
material receiving cassette 141 so as to take into the fragrant
smell within the cassette 141 from the outlet 144B and the fragrant
smell outlet 139B, and becomes an air fragrance generated by mixing
with the fragrant smell so as to be blown out from the fragrant
smell blowing port 148.
In accordance with the present embodiment, the following effects
can be obtained.
(1) The outlet 144B of the fragrant material receiving cassette 141
is arranged in the immediately upstream side of the fragrant smell
blowing port 148 in the blowing passage 147. Accordingly, the
fragrant smell is discharged to the external without being in
contact with most of the blowing chamber 135 provided with the fan
126 and the blowing passage 147, and is not adhered to the blowing
chamber 135, the blowing passage 147 and the like. Accordingly,
when replacing the fragrant material receiving cassette 141 by a
different fragrant material receiving cassette, it is possible to
interest a pure fragrant smell of a new fragrant material 1
immediately after the replacement.
(2) Since the outlet 144B of the fragrant material receiving
cassette 141 is provided in the upper portion of the cassette 141,
the fragrant smell does not leak to the side of the blowing passage
147 and the blowing chamber 135 from the cassette 141 due to the
gravity, and is not adhered to the blowing passage 147, the blowing
chamber 135 and the like.
Industrial Applicability
As mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, in
the air fragrance device, it is possible to blow out the fragrant
smell immediately after driving the fan by the motor.
* * * * *